Collapsible tube forming and threading machine



Jufly 17, 1934.

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE FORMING AND THREADING MACHINE Filed NOV. 7, 1933 3Sheets-Sheet 1 N INVENTOR V ATTORNEYS P. WITTE 1,966,877

P. WITTE 1,966,377 COLLAPSIBIJE TUBE FORMING AND THREADING MACHINE July17, 1934.

Jmfiy H7, 1934. p -r COLLAPSIBLE TUBE FORMING AND THREADING MACHINEFiled Nov. 7, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR B404. VV/TTE BY M!ATTORNEYS Patented July 17, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLETUBE FORMING AND THBEADHQG MACHINE rm Witte, New Milford, N. 1.,assignor to White Metal Manufacturing Company,

Hoboken,

This invention relates to improvements in machines for makingcollapsible tubes of the character used for dispensing tooth paste,shaving cream and similar plastic materials.

3 Heretofore, collapsible tubes have been made by machines involving theuse of coacting die and plunger, the die being adapted to receive adisc-like blank or slug of ductile metal such as block tin, lead, or thelike and a plunger usually coacts with the die. when the plunger strikesthe disc or slug carried in the die, the metal is extruded around theplunger, thus forming the tube. Tubes so formed have heretofore beenstripped from the plunger in various ways and then transferred to othermachines equipped with means forperforming certain trimming andthreading operations on the tube so as to condition the same forreceiving a screw threaded closure cap. My invention aims to provideimportant improvements in machines for forming collapsible tubes and aparticular feature relates to the provision of means whereby a thread isformed on the outlet neck of the tube simultaneously with the formationof the tube by extrusion. At the same time, an outlet opening is formedin the threaded neck. In this way, I effect important economies in theproduction of tubes, it being apparent that by the utilization of myinvention tubes need not be separately handled to produce the threads ontheneck thereof. The invention also effects an important saving in thecost of special machine equipment heretofore required for the threadingof the necks of the tubes. The above and other more detailed features ofthe inventmn will be fully apparent from the following specificationwhen read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in whichii aplan view of a tube forming and threading machine embodyin my invention;Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section through the formingand threading die also showing related parts; Fig. 3 is a fragmentaryview of parts shown in Fig. 2, but illustrating relative movement ofcertain parts; Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on the staggeredline 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinalsection taken through the die and showing a portion of the plungercooperating therewith, the view also showing a threaded section of atube formedabout the plunger; Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5:Fig. 'l is a view illustrating the relative position of the die and Punger after the die has unscrewed itself from the threaded neck of thetube formed about the plunger; Fig. 8 is a skeleton section taken online 8-8 of Fig. 1 illustrating the means for reciprocating the carriagewhich carries the tube forming plunger.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 10 represents a main drive pulleyby means of which power is transmitted to clutch 12 controlled bysuitable clutch mechanism 14 for driving pinion 16 which in turntransmits power through gear 18 to shaft 20 having a crank 22 connectedby a pitman 24, Fig. 8, with a lever 26 adapted to reciprocate thecarriage 28 in slidable and suitable guides 30. The lever 26 isfulcrumed at 32 on a link -34 pivotally supported at 36, the arrangementbeing such that the crank 22 through the connections described transmitsa straight line motion to the slidable carriage 28.

Mounted for limited longitudinal movement relatively to the carriage 28,there is a punch holder 38 having a threaded shank 40 adjustably Spporting threaded collars 42. At its forward end, the holder 38 carriesa chuck 44 in which is removably secured a shank 46 of a male die memberor plunger 48 about which the collapsible tubes are adapted to beformed. A suitable split stripper collar 50 surrounds the plunger 48 andis supported by a bridge piece 52 carried by supports 54 suitablysecured to the base of the machine.

The holder 38 for the plunger is mounted with freedom for slight endwiseplay relatively to the carriage, but is prevented from turning by a keyor spline connection 56. A spring 58 normally tends to pull back theholder 38. The rearward movement of the holder 38 relatively to thecarriage is of course limited by the rear collar 42 striking the'face 60of the carriage.

The plunger 48 at its forward extremity is tapered, as indicated at 62,to conform to the desired shape of the foreward end of the tube to beformed thereon. Secured by left hand threads 63 in the extremity of theplunger, there is a piercing punch 64, the extreme end 66 of which is inthe form of an acute point so as to readily pass through the metal ofthe slug or blank, as will more fully hereinafter appear. The punch 64carries a noncircular enlargement 68 which is adapted to prevent thetube formed about the plunger from turning as the female die member 5 isbeing rotated to disengage itself {mm the formed tube as willhereinafter appear,

The female die member, which counts with the punch 48, is indicated as awhole at 70 and is detachably secured by means cf a set screw 'flto anintermittently rotatable mandrel 74 which carries a beveled pinion l6meshing with a gear 78 securedonashaft80. Thisshafthaskeyedor otherwisesecured thereto a clutch member 82 adapted to coact with a clutch cone84 slidable onashaft86 whlchisaxiallyalignedwithsaid shaft 80. The shaft88 carries a pinion 88 which meshes with and is driven by the previouslymentioned gear 18 carried by the shaft 20. The shaft 20 carries acrowned cam 90 having a raised portion 92 adapted to coact with theroller 94 secured to a clutch operating fork 98 pivoted at 98 to bracket100 in order to cause the clutch cone 84 to engage the clutch member 82and thus intermittently rotate the mandrel 74, which carries the diemember 70. A spring 102 normally tends to maintain the clutch cone 84disengaged from the clutch member 82.

The die member 70, as best shown in Figs. and 7, is provided with acavity 104 of a diameter slightly greater than the diameter 0! theplunger 48, the forward end of this recess is tapered, as indicated at108, to correspond with the frustoconical end of the tube to be formedby coaction of the plunger with the die.

Internal ri ht hand screw threads 108 are formed in the die, asindicated, and an opening 110 is provided to permit the free passagetherethrough of the piercing punch 64. The threads 108 formed in the dieare so designed and arranged that when the plunger 48 and punch 64 moveforwardly into contact witha slug or blank previously inserted in therecess 104 of the female die member that continued forward movement ofthe punch will by extrusion cause the metal of the slug or blank toflow, while in a cold state, so as to form the tube about the punchsubstantially asillustratedinl'ig.5andatthesametimetoiormthethreadstontheneckofthetube'l'. After the tube has been thusformed, as indicatedinl'lg.5,theraisedportion92ofthecam90 will rock theclutch fork 98 and through the clutch and gearing 78 and '18 abovedescribed cause the mandrel l4 and die 70 to rotate a sumcient number ofturns to unscrew the die from thethreadedendotthetubethusbrlngingtheparts substantially to the positionillustrated in Pig. 7. During thisunscrewing operation, the

' non-circular enlargement 88 formed on the punch 84 will effectivelyprevent the tube T from turning relatively to the punch 48. During theunscrewing operation, it will be appreciated that the punch 48 and itscarrier 38 will move in a longitudinal direction relatively to thecarriage 28 and duringthismovementthespringawillassistin properlyretracting the punch and the formed tube carried thereby from the die.The amount of relative play between the plunger carrier'88 andthecarriageacanbeadiustedtoanicetybyturningthethreadedcollarsuonthethreadedshankaoofthephmgercarrieru.

- Afterthecompletedtubehasbeenunscrewedfromthedie'l0,continued'rearwardmovementoftheplungerfiwillbringtherearedgeofthetubeintoengagementwithfliestrippermemberswandfurtherrearwardmovementoftheplung- 'erwillofcoursestripthecompletedthreaded tubefromthephmgeranddepoaititonasuitable traveling conveyor112. This conveyor travels immediately below the path of movement of thepunch and, therefore, the completed tubes fall a minimum distance aftertheir formation. The conveyor is driven through the sprocket chains 114,118, shaft 118 and a-gear 128 and a beveled gear 122 carried on theextreme end of the shaft above referred to.

The slugs from which the tubes are formed are fed and positioned withinthe cavity of the die member by any suitable slug or blank feeding meansand the same is not further described as it forms no particular part ofthe present mvention. A suitable means for feeding such slugs isdescribed in my prior Patent No. 1,886,459 of November 8, 1932.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that my machine provides meanswhereby a disc-like blank or slug of metal can at a single operation beformed into a collapsible tube having a discharge neck with threads onits exterior adapted to receive a threaded closure cap. The machine thusaccomplishes a single operation, a result which heretofore required aplurality of operations and a plurality of separate machines.

While I have described quite specifically details of the embodiment ofthe invention herein illustrated, it is not to be construed that I amlimited thereto as the invention is thought to be broadly new andvarious modifications may be made by those skilled in the art withoutdeparture from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:-

1. .A machine for making tubular articles comprising a die with a screwthreaded recess portion, said die being arranged to receive a slug fromwhich the article is to be formed, a plunger cooperating with the dieand about which the articles are formed, means for effecting a relativelongitudinal movement between the plunger and the die and means foreifecting a relative rotary movement between the plunger and the die soas to release the threaded engagement between the article formed on theplunger and the die.

2. A machine for making tubular articles comprising a plunger on whichthe articles are formed, a slug receiving recessed die coacting with theplunger and having a threaded portion into which part of the slug isadapted to be extruded, means effecting a relative movement between theplunger of the die in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the twosaid parts and intermittently operating means for unscrewing the diefrom the article formed on the plunger.

8. A machine for making tubular articles comprising a plunger aboutwhich the articles are formed, a die coacting with the plunger andhaving a slug receiving recessed portion formed with internal screwthreads, means rotatably supporting said die, means for intermittentlyrotating said die, and means for reciprocating the plunger toward andfrom said die.

4. A machine for making tubular articles comprising a rotatably mounteddie having a re- 138 ceased slug receiving portion formed with internalscrew threads, a plunger coacting therewith about which the articles areformed, means for effecting a relative longitudinal movement between thedie and plunger, and means operable in 140 timed relation to therelative movement of the plimger and die for effecting a relative rotarymovement to disengage the threaded tube formed on said plunger from thethreads of the die.

5. A machine for making tubular articles com- 148 prising a rotatablymounted die having a slug receiving recess with internal screw threadsformed therein. means for intermittently rotating said die, a plunger, acarriage for reciprocating'aaldplungenandsupportingmeansfor the] plungermounted in said' carriage with freedom for limited longitudinalmovement.

6. A machine for making tubular articles comprising a rotatably. mounteddie having a slug receiving recess with internal screw threads formedtherein, means for intermittently rotating said die, a plunger coactingwith said die, a carriage for reciprocating said plunger, supportingmeans for the plunger mounted in said carriage with freedom for limitedlongitudinal movement relatively thereto and means for adjustablylimiting the relative movement between such supporting means and saidcarriage.

'7. A machine for making tubular articles comprising a rotatably mounteddie having a recess with internal screw threads formed therein, meansfor intermittently rotating said die, a plunger coacting with said die,a carriage for reciprocating said plunger, supporting means for theplunger mounted in said carriage with freedom for limited longitudinalmovement and means for adjustably limiting the movement between suchsupporting means and said carriage, and yielding means for moving saidsupporting means relatively to said carriage.

8. A machine for making tubular screw threaded articles comprising arotatably mounted die having a slug receiving recess with internal screwthreads formed therein, a plunger coacting with said die, a carriage,means for supporting the plunger with freedom for limited slidablemovement relatively to the carriage, mechanism for reciprocating saidcarriage, a member .for turning said die, a driving element common tosaid mechanism and said member, and means operating in predeterminedtimed relationship to the movements of said plunger for automaticallymaking and breaking the driving connection between said driving elementand said member.

9. A machine for making tubular screwthreaded articles comprising arotatably mounted die having a slug receiving recess with internal screwthreads formed therein, a plunger coacting with said die, a carriage,means for supporting the plunger with freedom for limited slidablemovement relatively to the carriage, mechanism for reciprocating saidcarriage, a member for turning said die, a driving element common tosaid mechanism and said member, a clutch controlling the transmission ofmotion to said die tuming member and means moved by said driving elementfor actuating said clutch.

10. A machine for making tubular screw threaded articles comprising aone piece solid die having a threaded portion forming a mould-likerecess, 'a plunger coacting with said die and about which the tubulararticles are formed, means for moving the plunger toward and from thedie and means for releasing the die from its threaded engagement withthe tube formed about the plunger.

11. A machine for making tubular screw threaded articles comprising aone piece solid die having a threaded portion forming a mouldlikerecess, a plunger coacting with said die, means moving the plungertoward and from the die, a punch secured to said plunger and anenlargement on said punch elfective to force the metal of the tubulararticle into conformity with the threaded portion of the die and meansfor unscrewing the die from its threaded engagement with the tube formedabout the plunger.

12. A -m'achine for making tubular screw threaded articles comprising asolid die having a threaded portion for g a mould-like recess, a plungercoacting with said die about which the tubular articles are formed,means carried by the plunger for preventing the article formed thereonfrom turning and means for intermittently rotating the die to unscrew itfrom the article formed on the plunger.

13. A machine for making tubular screw threaded articles comprising adie having a threaded portion'iorming a mould-like recess, a plungercoacting with said die about which the tubular articles are formed,means carried by the plunger for preventing the article formed thereonfrom turning, and means for reciprocating said plunger, means forrotating said die,

a common driving element for said die rotating means and said plungerreciprocating means and means for automatically making and breaking thedriving connection between said driving element and said die rotatingmeans.

14. A machine for making tubular articles comprising a reciprocatingcarriage, a plunger slidably mounted thereon, means limiting themovement of the plunger relatively to the carriage, a slug receiving diehaving an internally screw threaded recess formed therein, a piercingpunch on said plunger, means for preventing rotation of the articleformed on the plunger, means synchronized with the movements of saidcarriage for intermittently rotating said die to release it from thearticle formed about said plunger.

' PAUL WHITE.

